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Enoch Yiu

HSBC has teamed up with partners to launch a non-profit platform to help emerging markets in upgrading their technology and shifting from oil and coal to renewable energy, according to a senior executive at the lender.
The Green Accelerator Programme, rolled out on Monday with backing from HSBC, the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank, the Silk Road Fund and others, will channel private capital into feasibility studies and due diligence for emerging-market companies and governments adopting green technology.
“Geopolitical disruptions such as those in the Strait of Hormuz have accelerated demand for resilient, alternative energy sources,” said Julian Wentzel, chief sustainability officer at HSBC, in an interview with the South China Morning Post.
HSBC has seen an increase in demand for green financing since the US-Israel war on Iran started in late February, which has driven up oil prices and prompted global companies to seek cheaper, more stable energy supplies.
Wentzel said such a trend presented huge opportunities for the banking industry, as companies and governments would need to raise funds to finance up to US$20 trillion in global expenditure over the next five to eight years to establish or upgrade their facilities to use renewable energy or other clean energy.
This included global corporate transition spending, currently estimated at US$2.3 trillion per year and expected to increase to US$3.6 trillion per year by 2030.
It is probably the most significant and fastest scale of deployment of capital I have seen in my over 30 years in banking
Julian Wentzel, HSBC
The growing demand for energy to support artificial intelligence infrastructure would require an additional US$5 trillion in expenditure over the next five to eight years, he said.
“It is probably the most significant and fastest scale of deployment of capital I have seen in my over 30 years in banking,” Wentzel said.
HSBC in 2025 offered US$102 billion in sustainable finance and investment, bringing the total to US$495.6 billion since 2000, he said. This puts the bank on track to meet its target of offering between US$750 billion and US$1 trillion in sustainable finance and investment by 2030.
The increasing demand for renewable energy technology and low-cost energy will benefit both Hong Kong and mainland China.
“China is very much leading in high-quality, low-cost renewable energy equipment,” Wentzel said. “China accounts for nearly 70 per cent of the technology and equipment in this transition economy, ranging from turbines, photovoltaic cells and battery technology.”


Hong Kong, with its active capital market and high disclosure standards, has become a hub for mainland companies and other international firms to raise funds to finance their green projects.
“Hong Kong is a leader in green finance as it serves as a critical capital hub and a conduit between China and the rest of the world for renewable technology investment,” he said.
“The city provides deep capital markets through green bonds, sustainable bonds, transition-labelled instruments, and project finance.”
Investors were interested in investing in green bonds or other green finance projects as they could provide good returns, Wentzel said.
He pointed out that renewable energy offered a faster time-to-market compared to traditional power plants, with solar plants potentially being deployed in 18 months while traditional power plants may need several years to establish.


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World may need up to US$20 trillion over five to eight years to build or upgrade renewable energy facilities, HSBC executive says


World may need up to US$20 trillion over five to eight years to build or upgrade renewable energy facilities, HSBC executive says.


HSBC-backed platform drives green transition capital to emerging markets amid global risks

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}World may need up to US$20 trillion over five to eight years to build or upgrade renewable energy facilities, HSBC executive says

World may need up to US$20 trillion over five to eight years to build or upgrade renewable energy facilities, HSBC executive says